Get into winter

Sat 10th - Sun 11th March 2018

The MTA winter weekend held at Glenmore Lodge is back by popular demand and this year the focus is Getting into Winter. This is a great weekend of winter based CPD workshops for members of the Mountain Training Association; an ideal opportunity to develop, refresh and learn new skills and meet like-minded members. All workshops are staffed by instructors who work at the National Centre or are leading experts in their field and the weekend will accrue continued personal development (CPD) points (1 per day). See the full list of workshops below.

Who can book?

This event is open to all MTA members with an interest in getting out in winter...

• Venturing out in winter for the first time?
• Want to develop your personal winter skills?
• Want to be more avalanche aware?
• Looking for a skills refresher and some reassurance that you're doing it right and safely?
• Want to meet likeminded people from the outdoor community?

How much is it?

Stay residentially for the full weekend experience for £210 or book a non-residential weekend package for £160.

How can you book?

Booking is available online via the Glenmore lodge website. BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment!

What's on offer this year?

Workshops will run on both Saturday and Sunday 9am – 5pm unless specified. The following is a full description of the workshops on offer throughout the weekend. If a particular workshop has very low bookings it may not run and you will be offered an alternative.

Discover Winter Skills

A one day introduction for those wishing to extend their walking into the winter season in North Wales, the Lakes or Scotland. Primarily it is about learning to use an ice axe and crampons. Starting with making sound judgements about route choice and terrain, movement skills and effective boot placement before moving onto using the ice axe and crampons to aid safe travel. Finally using the ice axe for self arrest, should the rest of those skills fail.

Prerequisites: Participants must have summer walking experience.

Improver winter skills

The day will begin with a refresher of basic winter skills to ensure competency around movement skills. The day will then progress on to develop those skills, with coaching taking place around moving on steeper or icier terrain. We will also make emergency shelters and discuss emergency procedures.

Prerequisites: Participants need to have some basic winter skills experience and be able to walk in winter conditions with axe and crampons.

Winter Navigation Skills

A one day workshop looking at the skills required to navigate effectively in winter conditions. From ideas on how to organise your navigation equipment, using winter strategies and adapting navigation techniques for the winter environment, working with contours, strategies for relocation and avoiding cornices and avalanche terrain.

Prerequisites: Participants need to have some basic winter skills experience and be able to walk in winter conditions with ice axe and crampons.

Avalanche Avoidance

The workshop will look at information gathering and interpreting both the weather and SAIS reports. How that links to planning our route and identifying potential hazards including heuristic traps and then what options and strategies we have to manage them. On the hill we continue to observe and evaluate conditions and amend our plans as we go.

Prerequisites: Participants need to have some basic winter skills and operate self-sufficiently within the group.